Inkanyiso – “Let Your Voices be Heard”
Given an opportunity to tell my story I will talk about where I’ve been and what I have done and the remarkable people I met along my journeys. This remains in my archived memories. It was an ardent path that any other youth might have gone through without much guidance and support from parents and relatives. One had to rely on strangers and friends who then became my extended family. People who loved and embraced me as their daughter, younger sister, who loved my daughter as theirs and fed me when there was no food on the table.
Homosexuality is Halal
From “Homosexuality is Halal – The Fatwa [Part 1 – Essay – Chapter 1] Was I suffering from a demonic possession? Or was it the evil works of a dark spell? These were the questions that led to my exorcism-session in the…
Coming of age in London – British, Somali, writer, artist
I moved to London when I was seventeen and I love the city and all it’s beautiful complexities. I instantly felt more at home in London because it was the first time I had been to a gay bar, it was the first time I had experienced love in it’s purest form. London is also the place where I truly came of age. It was here that I discovered crucial facets of my identity, whether it was my sexuality or my relationship with the world outside of my own community, which is to say my family. So if anything I consider myself a Somali-born, British writer and artist. It took me a while to own this identity and I’m proud of it.
“Find Your Own Voice”
Found this on Facebook – just in case you lost your voice or think you lost your voice – “Find your own voice” by Jayne Cortez
No victimhood – writing a proud gay Somali experience.
Diriye Osman is a British Somali writer and visual artist. He writes short stories mostly about the gay Somali experience set in England and Kenya. Whilst his stories are edgy, witty and urban, his artistry is, in his words “extravagant’ and sensual. Here Diriye discusses his work and coming out as a gay man, with art and culture magazine Beige
Jackie Kay, ‘Falling Back” – Meeting my Nigerian Father
A humorous 15 minutes from Black Scottish writer, Jackie Kay on her birth, life in Scotland and her journey to meet her Nigerian father who turns out to be a ‘Born Again Christian’ who spent their first meeting jumping up and down praising God. Wonderful – a must listen!
![Andiswa Dlamini [Interview]](http://blacklooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/254400_3674804754724_2071489779_n-150x150.jpg)
Andiswa Dlamini [Interview]
Queer Stories from South Africa: Andiswa Dlamini is a spoken word poet and performance activist from Durban, presently living in Cape Town. After spending some seven years writing and performing her own poetry, Andiswa felt she needed to expand her work by becoming more creative. Recently she began experimenting with drama as a way of explori
Civitella 2: Interview with Uche Umez
Uche is the author of two collections of poem: Dark through the Delta, and Aridity of Feelings; a short story collection Tears in Her Eyes, and two children’s fiction: Sam and the Wallet and The Runaway Hero. The Boy Who…
Gone @ 20 – the lucky ones are not yet born!
South Africa is layered with contradictions and complexities. On the one hand, the lgbti community forms part of the progressive movement and the rainbow nation that is South Africa today. On the other, individual rights to sexual expression, sexual and gender identity are often challenged in the only African state that is praised for protecting diversities. However, there are limits to diversity, at least in the South African context. Those who transgress the boundaries of diversity often get punished in the most gruesome ways. In particular, the existence of minority groups (including wome
MO(U)RNING by Zanele Muholi
In MO(U)RNING, Muholi presents elements of her documentation that were not lost, together with new work realised in recent months. The exhibition will include new and recent photographs from her Faces and Phases series of portraits and her Being series. Her multip
“I’ve come to take you home” Interview with Diana Ferrus
In 1998 Diana Ferrus wrote the poem, “I’ve come to take you home” in honour of Sarah Baartman. In 1810, at age 20 Sarah Baartman was lured away under false pretences by British ship surgeon, William Dunlop. She was taken…
Iwe-Ijer – Book of Witness
Below is is a selection of poems written as a 7 day diary of my life in Stratford [home of the recent London Olympics] London which I call the “Book of Witness”. Why Witness? Because my entire being is a witness to this part of my life 24 hours a day. This way I hope I can bring my experiences to the surface.
In Disturbia
I’ve got to break my mind in like a horse in disturbia. Crazy as a hatter. What’s not to be crazy about… Even children are given free reign to be indifferent Poor things snagged up in viral hand me downs….
MO(U)RNING: Life and death, love and hate
STEVENSON is pleased to present MO(U)RNING, a solo exhibition by visual activist and photographer Zanele Muholi. For Muholi, MO(U)RNING evokes death but also suggests the cycle of life as morning follows night. Life and death, love and hate are some of the antitheses that appear…
Bleeding in progress – making public the violence of rape
Visual activist, Zanele Muholi discusses her most recent photographic installation “Isilumo Siyaluma”
Isilumo Siyaluma: An artist responds to rape
Isilumo siyaluma (2006-2011) by Zanele Muholi It started as a thumb print Isilumo siyaluma is a Zulu expression…
Difficult Love - is an intimate portrait of Queer visual activist, photographer Zanele Muholi, her w
Difficult Love – is an intimate portrait of Queer visual activist, photographer Zanele Muholi, her work, her community and her loves. Watch the full film on IMDB